So that’s what’s behind all the hoardings in Victoria! Shiny new offices and on the ground floor, a plethora of bars and restaurants that makes the whole area seem rather upscale. There was a time when eateries around a station felt down-at-heel quite quickly but SEEN suspects London’s dining game has been substantially upped by all this new development.

SEEN learns with joy that Monday 11th September to Sunday 17th September is the first official London Mezcal Week, in which Londoners and visitors to this fair city have the opportunity to enjoy Mexican mezcal, culture, art and food that involves a two-day tasting festival and Mexico Independence Day celebrations.

Heading into Soho for a breakfast meeting? SEEN wasn’t, but had fun checking out 100 Wardour Street. It was quiet on the streets and very pleasant to take a breather as Soho woke up. Funnily enough, I’d seen the bustling cocktail and live music haunt that 100 is at night, but had no idea it also catered for the breakfast crowd.

Half of London is behind bars and the other half is leaning on them… As if to prove this, a new immersive and interactive cocktail experience starts doing its time on 28th September for three months: Alcotraz.

SEEN does love a restaurant with an encouraging theme. Thus, our interest is piqued by the gloriously named Sexy Fish restaurant, based in Mayfair. The famed Japanese venue has launched ‘Sexy Fish Lates’ where the venue transforms into an intimate late night drinking and dining spot from 11pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

SEEN often reflects that it’s very difficult to do anything new and novel in London. Everyone’s game is up, up, up. This is particularly true in the capital’s thriving restaurant trade. Clever restaurateurs try and tempt diners in with faddy ideas about flavour, fusions and fashion. How refreshing then (in every sense of the word) to visit the newly opened Mint Gun Club in Stoke Newington, where owner Rich is exploiting his enviable worldwide expatriate upbringing to bring something truly different to his diners.

Never mind if the sun’s shining or not, just get yourselves up onto the roofs of the city and experience that get-away-from-it-all feeling. John Lewis has outdone itself this year in SEEN’s opinion, hosting a variety of eclectic residencies. The latest is The Elephant, a Michelin-starred restaurant from Torquay. There’s a relaxed yet buzzy vibe up there amid the flowers and summer house.

London has always had an enthusiastic relationship with gin; right from the days when the water was undrinkable, gin has become the city’s tipple of choice. Imagine SEEN’s joy therefore, when we heard that this month, gin and tonic experts, Fever-Tree, is launching its very own Fever-Tree Gin School.